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US Open 2017: A look at the numbers from Erin Hills

Brooks Koepka took an unorthodox path to reaching the goal of all professional golfers yesterday morning (Singapore time), but the 27-year-old American said he would not change a thing after claiming his first Major title.The winds of change were blowing at the U.S. Open on Sunday as Brooks Koepka sailed to a four-stroke victory at Erin Hills, making it the seventh consecutive major that has crowned a first-time victor.Brooks Koepka of the United States poses with the winner’s trophy after his victory at the 2017 U.S. Open at Erin Hills on Monday in Hartford, Wisconsin.The long-hitting Florida native travelled far and wide, from Kazakhstan to Kenya and mainland Europe, cramming into bed and breakfast rooms with fellow players, spending some nights sleeping in cars, and learning about life and how to win.A fourth place finish at the 2014 US Open had given Koepka a taste of what it might be like to challenge for a major.The USGA always does a great job of picking courses that make even the best golf players in the world sweat a little.”I know he has a lot of European Tour friends”, Schofield added.Still, it is Koepka who earned the plaudits at the end of a odd US Open, played on a course with wide fairways.”I feel like golf-wise I’m playing at the highest level”.”That’s probably one of the coolest things I’ve ever experienced and to do it on Father’s Day it’s pretty neat”, Koepka said afterwards. I think it’s so much fun. In the group ahead, leader Brooks Koepka didn’t slip up.Koepka recorded three quick victories on the satellite circuit to make the step up to the European Tour before the Floridian eventually progressed to the US -based PGA Tour.”Obviously the wind picked up and I felt like that played right in my hand”, said Koepka.”I didn’t hit it as good as I’d like to, but I still was able to make the cut and manage my game pretty well, and ended up being only one over after all is said and done”.”That par save was massive on 13″, Koepka said.Nonetheless, after finishing his final round on Sunday, Stricker said he felt the love of the standing ovation from Wisconsinites in the crowd as he walked off the 18th green with his wife, Nicki, who was his caddy for the week.This week, he received pep talks from swing coach Claude Harmon III, master short-game coach Pete Cowen and from Johnson, last year’s US Open victor.Take the shots one at a time, Johnson told him. Just keep doing what you’re doing, you’re going to win the thing. By the end of day three, there had already been five rounds of 65 or lower, with the previous high in a U.S. Open tournament having been two.It all came together this week for the talented Koepka, who said he practiced patience and it paid off.”I look at all these places I won”.”And to win on the European Tour in Turkey and (PGA Tour in) Phoenix”.”For all the hours you put in and to think back about being on the Challenge Tour when four guys are packed into a little vehicle. Even though I had the lead, I just wanted to get out”.